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In the past on FFC we’ve spoken about the goalkeeping position at St Andrew’s a number of times before.

Whether it be about Lee Camp making mistakes, David Stockdale and his slump down the ladder or the possibility of Connal Trueman and Moha Ramos earning their keep, they seem to be figures of the squad that draw natural debate.

So when Birmingham Live posted a story in which they discussed the goalkeepers that Blues manager Pep Clotet could be tempted to go for in the January transfer window, it naturally grabbed our attention as well as a few Bluenoses.

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However, it seems as if the article didn’t go down well with them, as many supporters were quite happy with the options they had at the club – that’s despite some of the clangers Camp has dropped this season.

They suggested they’d rather the club spend their money in other areas rather than the person who’s standing between the sticks each week.

Taking to Twitter, they gave their thoughts on the current situation that’s playing out regarding their ‘keepers, urging Clotet to stick with the dilemma he has, rather than invest in new faces.

There was one fan though who thought there should be some change at the club, although they could have used some slightly nicer words.

Leeds United’s Mateusz Klich has started in all 11 of their Championship matches so far this campaign, but it appears his latest showing has left several supporters fuming.Marcelo Bielsa’s side were defeated 2-1 at Millwall on Saturday afternoon with the result seeing them sink to fifth place in the table.United had to play the majority of the game with ten men after centre-back Gaetano Berardi received his marching orders in the 14th minute.Millwall midfielder Jed Wallace scored the resulting penalty before Tom Bradshaw doubled the advantage on the stroke of half-time.Watch Leeds United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The Whites were able to grab one back through left-back Ezgjan Alioski’s 46th-minute strike, but they couldn’t find that all-important equaliser despite recording 75.5% possession in the final 30 minutes, per WhoScored.

Several of the Elland Road faithful were left angry at the performance of Klich in the heart of midfield, with some of them taking to Twitter to share their thoughts.

One supporter claimed it was criminal to see the 29-year-old play the full 90 minutes while another called for him to be dropped next game.

‘Shocking,’ ‘horrible’ and ‘appalling’ were just three other words used to describe his display.

Here’s the best of the reaction:

Since arriving from Borussia Dortmund in 2016 for a fee in the region of £20m, Ilkay Gundogan has endured a mixed time at Manchester City.

The 28-year-old has shown flashes of the quality he possesses, but has also frustratingly disappointed too. In the shock 2-0 defeat to Wolves in the Premier League, some City fans flooded to Twitter to voice their anger and disappointment with the midfielder’s poor showing.

But the international break appears to have done Gundogan the world of good. The former Dortmund man scored twice and provided a further assist in Germany’s 3-0 win over Estonia on Sunday.

After watching the midfielder’s superb display in EURO 2020 qualifying action, City supporters took to Twitter to share their thoughts about the matter.

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Many Citizens fans hailed Gundogan for his performance, and one supporter in particular insisted he did a great job in “silencing those haters”.

Some even compared his display to Spain legend Xavi, and felt he is returning to peak form in a timely manner for the side.

Check out some of the reaction of City fans below:

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Real Madrid are gearing up for their biggest test of the 2019/20 season so far as they travel to Parc des Princes to face PSG in the opening match of their Champions League group.

And looking at the squads, it will be crucial for the Galacticos to shut down the French side’s wingers.

On the chalkboard

Los Blancos have already conceded six goals in four games in La Liga and are yet to keep a clean sheet -their defensive prowess, or lack thereof, will be severely tested by the French giants.

Watch Spanish Football Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Not conceding a goal for the first time this season will surely be a major objective for Zidane’s men.

However, they will be without Sergio Ramos, who is suspended, and Marcelo, who became the newest name on the injury pile, for this clash.

With that in mind, a huge part of the defensive responsibility might fall on Daniel Carvajal’s shoulders, and he will have to win his battle against Angel Di Maria of all people.

The Argentine is usually deployed as a right-winger for Paris Saint-Germain but seeing how they’ve been riddled with injuries and suspensions – Kylian Mbappe and Edinson Cavani are both ruled out – the only real natural left-winger left in the squad is Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting.

Given the importance of this game, then, Tuchel might reshuffle the deck just a bit and put Di Maria on the left flank instead of Choupo-Moting – best known, perhaps, for a spell at Stoke City – and then shift Pablo Sarabia to the right.

With such a setup, Di Maria would get face to face with Carvajal.

Stopping the bleeding

Carvajal has so far featured in three games for Real Madrid this campaign and he has performed well.

The 27-year-old defender has tallied 1.7 tackles, 1.3 interceptions and 1.5 fouls so far in La Liga. This stacks up against Di Maria’s 1.6 shots, 2.4 key passes and 3.8 dribbles per game.

Still, despite his numbers maybe being somewhat lower than his opponent’s, he looks ready to face the challenge and even emerge victorious from it.

During the international break, Carvajal was shining for Spain and also laid on an assist in Real Madrid’s clash with Levante on the weekend, suggesting he’s definitely starting to peak.

Seeing how his dancing partner is looking to be the experienced Argentine winger – formerly of Real – this will definitely be a tall task.

Thus far this season, Di Maria has three goals and one assist to his name in all competitions.

He will be out for more this week; it is up to Carvajal to stop him.

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Aston Villa fans have shown their concern about the current state of affairs after their side once again squandered points at home to draw with Burnley on Saturday.

Anwar El Ghazi gave Villa the lead at home in the first-half but Jay Rodriguez equalised in the 68th minute.

A flurry of action followed, with John McGinn scoring two minutes before Villa were pegged back again by Chris Wood.

Smith’s men have won just once in the league in 2018/19, beating Everton 2-0 in August, but have lost to Tottenham Hotspur, AFC Bournemouth, Crystal Palace and Arsenal, while also drawing with West Ham United and Villa.

Fans, perhaps understandably, are growing worried about the club’s results, and they face an important run of fixtures in October; they will play fellow promoted team Norwich City, Brighton & Hove Albion and reigning champions Manchester City.

And supporters have been quick to express their disillusionment and concern at their current predicament.

Take a look at the best of the reaction below!

Huddersfield Town proved to be the surprise packages of the week when they forced through a shock 1-0 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Tuesday night.

However, those accustomed with this fixture will know that the Terriers have been absolute nightmares for Wolves in the past few years.

As a matter of fact, they had won their last four games in all competitions against Nuno Espirito Santo’s men (stats via SofaScore). Despite being stuck to the bottom of the league and having last won a league game in November, the Terriers somehow managed to pack all their energy in dealing a knockout punch to the Wanderers.

After pushing on relentlessly for a winner, Steve Mounie scored in the dying moments to give Jan Siewert his first win as manager. That being said, this inspired win doesn’t mean things are going to turnaround for their doomed season. The Terriers are still 13 points astray from avoiding relegation and have a tough schedule ahead.

While Siewert might have brought back life into their game, allowing them to attack with more intensity, they’re still quite poor defensively. Wolves were clueless in front of goal in the mid-week, allowing Huddersfield to cling onto hope for a winner till the absolute end.

Huddersfield have games against Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and Manchester United remaining along with tough away fixtures against in-form sides. Being so far off from the shallow end of surviving relegation, Huddersfield’s fate is almost sealed and despite picking up form recently, it’s too little too late for the Terriers.

However, Siewert’s appointment is – oddly considering results against him – is looking a smart one and could yet be another masterstroke from Dean Hoyle.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Wolves legend Steve Bull has backed Raul Jimenez to keep scoring goals and become a record-breaker while doing so, per The Express and Star.

What’s he said?

Steven Fletcher holds the record goal tally for any Wolves player in the Premier League after netting 22 goals in two years at the club, beginning in 2010.

But Bull, who holds the overall record for the club with 306 goals, believes that Jimenez can surpass that by Christmas this year.

The 6 foot 3 striker has netted six goals in six European games, though that hasn’t quite translated into league form after bagging just two in four matches, including one penalty, per Transfermarkt.

After initially joining the club on loan last summer, the Mexican star signed permanently a couple of months ago in a club-record £30m move.

Across the two seasons so far, Jimenez has 15 in the league, meaning he only needs another eight to surpass the current Sheffield Wednesday striker’s record at Molineux.

And Bull certainly believes he can do it.

He said: “Easy. He should do that with absolute ease.

“He’s a player who keeps plugging away. When you work hard, you get your rewards, and he knows that.

“He’s a proper striker, an out and out goalscorer, so I reckon he’ll get there by Christmas, definitely.

“With how he’s going, we could be talking about him breaking the record in a matter of weeks.”

Has every chance

It is easy to resonate with the Molineux legend’s words as the club look set to be in the Premier League for at least the immediate to short-term future.

Last time they were in the top-flight, their spell only lasted three years, so that is why Fletcher only managed to bag 22 goals.

Nuno Santo’s main man has played over 40 games this calendar year for both club and country, and that doesn’t look like slowing up anytime soon, so the timeframe Bull has put on it is realistic – just as long as he stays fit.

The 28-year-old looked sluggish against Everton despite bagging a goal, but that was the first time fatigue appeared to have any significant effect on the striker.

That record should certainly be broken come the end of this current campaign.

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Everton are likely to sign a couple of players on transfer deadline day as the club moves closer to appointing Frank Lampard in the manager’s dugout at Goodison Park.

What’s the word?

This has been a chaotic transfer window for the Toffees and on deadline day this Monday, it’s set to get even crazier.

As well as being on the verge of appointing Lampard, they are set to welcome Donny van de Beek to the club on loan from Manchester United.

But, the new boss won’t stop there in his pursuit of new signings according to reporter Alan Myers.

The journalist was asked on Twitter on Sunday whether the Dutchman would be the club’s final addition but he responded; “I doubt it.”

Myers then added in another tweet: “I’d guess 2 to 3 [signings] maybe.”

Fans buzzing

After all of the protest and rage that has engulfed Goodison this month, it looks as though Everton are set to end the month on a high.

The appointment of Lampard is ambitious and will take the club in a new direction after the previously appointed Carlo Ancelotti and Rafa Benitez; two individuals with far more coaching experience under their belts.

However, what Lampard has in common with those two, is a lure, particularly for young English players or footballers looking to get their careers back on track.

Van de Beek perfectly fits that description and with Jesse Lingard and Dele Alli also on the club’s radar, this could be a captivating finish to the window.

Myers doesn’t mention who may follow the Man United midfielder through the door but the fact that Lampard is wasting no time in looking to strengthen his squad should be music to the ears of supporters.

After all, this is a team that sit in 16th place in the Premier League after just one win in their last 14 top-flight encounters.

AND in other news, Everton gifted late transfer boost that may save their season, Lampard will be a hero…

When Celtic spent £7m on Christopher Jullien back in the summer of 2019, hopes for the centre-back were extremely high at Parkhead.

Indeed, upon the then-26-year-old’s signing, Neil Lennon said of the Frenchman: “We are delighted to bring Christopher to Celtic. He is a quality player with great attributes.”

And, the Northern Irishman’s belief that the £4.95m-rated defender was a talented player proved to be correct over his secure the Premiership title, the Scottish Cup and the Scottish League Cup, as well as reaching the knockout stages of the Europa League.

The £23.5k-per-week man continued his impressive form over his nine Premiership outings last season, in which he helped his side keep five clean sheets, scored one goal and registered one assist, in addition to making an average of 1.2 interceptions, 1.2 tackles, 3.6 clearances and winning 6.9 duels per game – with these returns seeing the 29-year-old average a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.43.

However, since sustaining a serious knee injury in a 3-0 victory over Dundee United in December 2020 – a setback that was initially predicted to keep the former French youth international sidelined for around four months – Jullien has played just 16 minutes of football for Celtic, coming on as a second-half substitute in the 4-0 SFA Cup win over Raith Rovers in February.

Indeed, over the Bhoys’ last monster” – in his matchday squad, something which has left many to question whether the centre-back has a future under the Greek-Australian coach.

And, with just 12 months of his current contract remaining this summer, in addition to having already set Celtic back around £3.5m in wages over his 142 weeks in Glasgow – 60 of which were spent on the treatment table – it would indeed appear a wise for Postecoglou cut his losses on the defender at the end of the current campaign, as Jullien is quickly becoming a rather expensive burden at Parkhead.

AND in other news: Celtic handed huge Old Firm boost as fresh update emerges, Postecoglou will be buzzing

West Ham United have learned the latest information regarding the future of Manchester United winger and Hammers transfer target Jesse Lingard, with the 29-year-old weighing up his options.

What’s the latest?

According to the Daily Star, West Ham remain interested in signing the Englishman, who spent the second half of last season on loan at the East London club. However, Premier League rivals Newcastle United are ready to offer more money to bring Lingard to the North-East.

The £18m-rated wide man’s contract at Manchester United expires on 30 June, meaning that if he remains at Old Trafford for the remainder of the campaign, he’ll be able to leave in the summer for free.

Having played just one minute of Premier League football under new boss Ralf Rangnick, despite being labelled “brilliant” by former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, it is becoming increasingly more clear that the 29-year-old’s time at United is in its final stages. Therefore, it would seem obvious that the Red Devils would sell this month whilst they can gather a fee, albeit low.

David Moyes is still keen to reunite with Lingard, but it will be a case of who offers the right money, with the Irons not looking to involve themselves in a bidding war.

West Ham must sign Lingard

West Ham’s head of recruitment Rob Newman will be well aware of the impact that Lingard had on David Moyes’ side in the second half of last season and why the Hammers faithful are desperate to see the winger in claret and blue once again.

The 29-year-old scored nine goals and registered five assists in 16 appearances for the East London outfit whilst on loan last term, helping them secure Europa League qualification by finishing sixth.

Unfortunately for West Ham, a permanent move didn’t materialise in the summer and they still find themselves in a hunt to bring Lingard back to the capital.

However, the void left by the 29-year-old hasn’t been a major predicament, with 25-year-old Jarrod Bowen really finding his feet in the top-flight this campaign. The Englishman has scored nine goals and contributed ten assists in 31 appearances across all competitions this season, with five coming in his last seven matches.

The prospect of having both an in-form Bowen and Lingard, should he replicate last season’s form, in the same side would be simply mouthwatering for West Ham fans.

After all, the England international was dubbed “special” by assistant boss Stuart Pearce last season.

Moreover, Moyes will have to add new recruits this window, regardless of whether or not Lingard returns to East London, with the Hammers still juggling three competitions and in need of as much squad depth as possible.

In other news: Moyes could finally replace Haller as West Ham plot bid for “complete” £13.5m-rated machine